Doctor and Author

Doctor and romance novel author – say what??

My medical career definitely influences my writing. I’m a doctor, live with a surgeon, hang out with physician friends, and have worked in a variety of medical settings. I can bring that background to my novels.

There were two parts in Perfectly Honest that specifically evolved from my medical experience. The first is when Mikaela helps deliver a baby in the middle of a hotel foyer. I’ve jumped in to provide medical care at church, on a plane, on the soccer field, at a beach, in an exercise class…medicine is rarely nine to five! The second scene is when Mikaela’s specialty eclipses Sam’s. My husband is a specialist and his specialty often garners more interest than mine when we meet someone new. Except once. One day, in the midst of a family doctor shortage, we were at the bank and the two women helping us were so excited that I was a family doctor that my husband’s specialty never came up. I had to chuckle when he mentioned that he noticed.

For me, the idea to write came after working with young adults. There were some basics I thought they should know – mental health symptoms, birth control myths, how to take ownership of their health. I thought hey, if David Chilton of The Wealthy Barber fame can dole out financial advice in a barbershop, maybe I could dole out medical advice in a romance novel. That’s how my first novel, She’s Not a Fan, was born. With each novel I’ve written, there’s something I want to teach and the trick is to incorporate it without the reader feeling like they’re being taught.

I’m really enjoying using my medical knowledge in a new way. I read for relaxation and I hope that others will laugh, relax, enjoy the stories I’ve written, and maybe learn something too!